Thabiti Anyabwile is one of the pastors for ARC. He has served as an elder and pastor in churches in NC, DC and the Cayman Islands. After a few years as a practicing Muslim, Thabiti was converted under the preaching of the gospel in the Washington DC area. He and his wife, Kristie, have three children. Thabiti is the author of several books, including The Life of God in the Soul of the Church; The Gospel for Muslims; What Is a Healthy Church Member?; The Decline of African-American Theology; and The Faithful Preacher. He blogs regularly at The Front Porch and Pure Church.

Tim was born and raised in Philadelphia. His favorite word in the English language is “grateful.” Tim is grateful for having been born to Christian parents that introduced him to Jesus at a very early age. He is grateful to God for saving him when he knows he is not worthy of God’s grace and mercy. Tim is grateful to his wife Moira for loving him unconditionally… and the list goes on. Tim has been a part of ARC from its first service and is now one of the pastors. Tim and Moira currently live in Maryland with their four children.

Babatunde was born and raised a Muslim in Nigeria. He became a Christian at a meeting of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) in Ibadan, Nigeria three months after Gbemi, his wife (then girlfriend) had become a Christian. He immediately found a church, attended new members’ class and was baptized. He got married to Gbemi about a year and a half after the Lord called them to be his own. Babatunde then moved to the United States and continued in the faith attending several churches. Years after Gbemi joined Babatunde in the US, the Lord led them to ARC in 2017 and they have since been fully involved in the life of the church. Babatunde is especially grateful that the Lord pulled him from the crescent to the cross and is amazed and awed by this undeserved grace and mercy of God.

Dennis Washington is a native New Yorker, born in Harlem, and raised in the Bronx. He is a veteran in the United States Air Force where he served honorably. While in the Military, through various circumstances the LORD began to draw Dennis to Himself and by God’s grace saved him from a life of sin. Early on in his Christian walk, he sensed a call to serve the Lord in international missions. Since then, he and his family have served in various cross-cultural capacities, including: campus ministry with international students, mobilizing for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, and steering committee member for the National African American Mission Conference. Dennis is happily married to his childhood sweetheart, Tarsha Washington, and they have four children together: D’mani, D’naja, Joshua, and Jonathan.

Ashley Davenport serves as the Neighbor Outreach Director at Anacostia River Church. She was born in Springfield, MO, but has since called Topeka, KS, Memphis, TN, and now Washington, D.C. home. Although she was not raised in a Christian home, God always placed people in her life to teach her about Him. She came to faith at 10 years old at a church camp. Coming to faith as a child from an unbelieving family has helped shape her heart for evangelism for both children and adults. Since college she has held ministerial outreach jobs serving predominantly black and brown communities (Kids Across America, Memphis Athletic Ministries, Neighborhood Christian Center and Young Life) and is passionate about people knowing the love of God, the peace of His fellowship, and the power of His truth. She is excited to see God use the local church to build relationships with the neighbors in Anacostia for His glory.

Abby is a first-generation Eritrean-American born and raised in Northern Virginia. She studied criminal justice and sociology at Old Dominion University, with a desire to understand people deeper from all walks of life. She loves to see how God activates His children and how He brings different people together to form community. She became a member of ARC in early 2017 and was delighted to join the church staff in March 2018.

Although DC is her home now, Hanna grew up in the Bahamas, where she came to faith as a middle schooler. Service has always been a way of life for her, she started out selling dolls in the Bahamian Straw Market at age 6. In addition to serving the ARC family as Deaconess of Congregational Care she serves our neighborhood as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and the District of Columbia in the Executive Office of the Mayor. She is a proud graduate of the University of Central Florida, a lover of Christian hip- hop and the favorite aunt to 9 nephews and 7 nieces.

Philadelphia born, North Carolina raised, and Southeast DC planted is how Dawn describes where she is from. Her father was in the military during her formative years and her family moved around quite a bit before settling in North Carolina. After attending college and graduate school, Dawn started a professional career as a consultant and moved to DC, which she refers to as her favorite city. Dawn and her husband Michael have been married for over 20 years and have 4 amazing daughters. They are a homeschooling family and she is passionate about supporting mothers and women with a “heart for home” to create flexible, work-life integration through entrepreneurship and God’s grace. Dawn is humbled and blessed to call ARC home. She and her husband visited one time and never left. She prays that all members know that they are loved by God the Father and cared for in practical ways by their generous and loving ARC church family.

Moira Ballard currently serves as one of the Children’s Ministry Co-Directors. She has homeschooled her four children over the past 12 years. She enjoys sharing the Gospel to children in a way that they can grasp and comprehend. Moira also works as a photographer, graphics designer, and video editor. She resides in Upper Marlboro with her husband, Tim, of 20 years; along with their children.

Esinam serves as a worship director at ARC. Before she spoke to the Lord, she sang to him whether it was to tell Him she was happy or sad. She has known the Lord to be her consistent safe place and her dearest friend. The Church has been a source of encouragement and security throughout her life. Since her early teens, she has served in worship ministry in some capacity and has ministered through music in various states and globally. Whether on stage or behind the scenes work with audio/visual, Esinam’s desire is for the hearts of men, women, and children to soften in the presence of the Lord that they may truly know Him, love Him, and most importantly be loved by Him.

Jacqueline (or Mama J, as she is affectionately known) is a proud Afro-Latina and devoted follower of Christ. She gave her life to Christ at the age of twelve, but it wasn’t until her adult years that she truly understood the importance of living in obedience and maintaining a relationship that glorifies God. This understanding led her to rededicate her life to Christ in 1991. Since then, Jacqueline has served in various leadership roles, focusing on mentoring young women and married couples.
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Jacqueline and her husband, Deacon Durce, have been married for 31 years and are blessed with three adult children and five grandchildren. Born in Panama and raised in northern Virginia, she has a rich cultural heritage that she celebrates. Jacqueline served eight years in the United States Air Force, where she developed a strong sense of discipline and service.
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Today, Jacqueline is an accomplished event planner and business owner. She serves as the Hospitality and Events Ministry Director at ARC, where she has been a dedicated member since 2018, having started attending in 2016. In addition to her ministry work, Jacqueline is passionate about pro-life causes and works part-time for an organization that supports moms and babies in crisis. Her life is a testament to her faith, family, and commitment to serving others.

Takor Njang serves as a worship director at ARC. Born in Cameroon and raised in Prince George's County she came to faith at a young age with a praying grandmother whom she is named after. Though she was raised in a Christian home it took losing a friend at 21 to radically cause her to face the fact that God is real and has given her eternal life. She is a Terrapin from the University of Maryland College Park, and co-leads the worship team remembering that a time of endless days will come when all we will do is glorify our Lord and Savior! Let's practice here and now for an eternity in glory!